What Type Of Person Thrives In The Coaching Industry, According To An Executive Leadership Coach At HED Space Coaching
A successful executive leadership coach possesses empathy, a desire to help others improve, and the ability to "elicit a change in someone just by being who they are," leveraging their unique skills and perspectives to bridge the gap between challenges and solutions, much like providing "a four-wheel drive" to help others overcome obstacles. This approach is transferable from other fields, as evidenced by the coach's transition from IT to coaching.
Empathy, Desire to help others, Awareness and presence, Non-judgmental attitude, Ability to inspire and motivate
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Cheddy Matthews
Executive Leadership Coach
HED Space Coaching
NC State University 2000
UCLA EMBA 2024
Political Science, American Studies
Coaching, Speaking & Writing
Strategic Management and Executive
Disabled, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Veteran, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Empathy and concern for others are crucial for success in this field. The ability to help people improve and see their potential is key.
2. The capacity to inspire and motivate others is essential. A good coach can lift people's spirits and help them discover their inner strength.
3. Transferable skills are valuable. Experience in other areas, such as IT, can be adapted for coaching. Identifying your strengths and applying them to coaching is vital.
Transcript
How would you describe someone who would thrive in this industry?
Wow, that's a profound question. I love it. I think I said it earlier, coaching is less about what you know and more about who you are. It's really who you are.
It's for people who have empathy, concern, and a desire to help others become better. It's for the person who can see things in others that they can't see in themselves. They are a cheerleader, a supporter, someone who is there for you on a bad day, the person that walks into a room and lights it up.
That person can elicit a change in someone, can ignite a fire inside them, just by being who they are. They are aware and present enough to know when someone has an issue. They can see it.
They may come over to you, but they're present enough to ask a question in a way that's more than just "How are you doing?" It's, "Seriously, how are you doing?" When someone can do that and truly connect with another person without judgment, without disclosing private information, they make that person feel safe, strong, and confident. That's a coach.
Whatever skills you have, you find how to use them in your coaching. As a coach, I focus on things because I was in IT. The skills are transferable. I realized I didn't have to abandon my past.
You look at yourself and see a leader. As a leader, you should be coaching leaders. So it's changed for me over the years. You start to use everything in your life as useful tools. You have a perspective and a way of seeing things.
Sometimes, I'll see a situation. If I go into an office and someone says, "I don't know what to do, revenues are down," I might say, "Try this." It's easy for some people to find solutions that are hard for others. You can monetize the fact that you can bridge that gap.
Imagine someone climbing a mountain, finding it so hard. But you have a four-wheel drive. You can help them. What's easy for you is hard for them. You work together to reach the destination. That's what I do.